‘He has shown why he is different’ - Ravi Shastri hails Virat Kohli for his longevity and versatility

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri hailed Virat Kohli for his contribution to cricket, recognising his longevity and his consistent performances both in international and domestic cricket over the years. 

Shastri and Kohli share a great camaraderie, as they have worked together and formed a successful partnership as coach and player for several years. Shastri stated that he did not want to compare players from different generations, but he does feel that not many can match Kohli's class.

"You cannot compare players of different eras. But if someone can stay on top of the sport for that long, this shows his versatility, his ability to adapt, and just shows his skillset to do that. Not many can do that. But he has shown why he is different,” Shastri told the ICC review. 

'Got Root, Smith and Rohit in one format; this guy was in top three across formats' - Shastri on Kohli

Furthermore, Shastri reckoned that Kohli’s name should be taken alongside some of the greatest batters to have played the game. He also talked about how the likes of Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Rohit Sharma have been excellent in one format, but Kohli has dominated across every format of the game. 

It is worth noting that Kohli was named Player of the Match in the T20 World Cup 2024 final for his knock of 76 runs in 59 deliveries. His performance helped India lift their second T20 World Cup title, and Kohli retired from the shortest format after helping India win the title.

"I think one of the greats of the game. I think he dominated that decade across formats of the game. When you look at one player who dominated all three formats of the game for a period of ten years, it had to be Virat Kohli. You would get Joe Root in one format, Steve Smith in one format, Rohit Sharma in one format. But this guy was in the top three across formats," Shastri said.